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Mark Your Calendars! Disney Halloween Party Dates and Details

Disney villains perform on stage with dramatic gestures, flanked by flames, in front of a castle backdrop during a nighttime theatrical show.
Credit: Disney

It’s only May, but before you know it, the spookiest season of the year at Disney Parks will be upon us, and tickets for two of Disney’s most popular events of that season go on sale this week!

groups of people in costume at disneyland

Guests don costumes during Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash/Credit: Becky Burkett

Disney Parks Know How to Celebrate!

Disney Parks have quite a reputation when it comes to over-the-top celebrations, especially at the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida and Disneyland Resort in California.

Celebrations take place in the theme parks at both U.S. Disney resorts all year long, beginning with exciting fireworks spectaculars to welcome in the new year every New Year’s Eve. Then it’s on to the exciting runDisney events that take place in January and February.

Aggressive sheriff Disney World marathon

Credit: runDisney

Disneyland Resort celebrates the Valentine’s Day season with a special series of nighttime events that are perfect for guests of all ages–no sweetheart required (though having one can’t hurt).

In the spring, the Walt Disney World Resort celebrates Easter with a beautiful exhibit of larger-than-life Easter eggs, each on display at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Over the summer, the parks celebrate Independence Day with a fireworks show that is unmatched by any other theme park in the country.

A vibrant fireworks display lights up the night sky above a lit-up castle at Disney Parks, featuring bursts of red, white, and blue sparks, creating a spectacular and colorful scene.

Credit: Disney Parks

Disney’s Fall & Winter Celebrations Take the Cake

Later in the fall, Disney World and Disneyland welcome guests to celebrate the Thanksgiving season, and beginning in mid-November, the parks begin to usher in the Christmas season with dazzling lights, elegant decorations throughout the parks, the tallest Christmas trees you’ve ever seen, more wreaths than you can count, and so many boughs of holly, you can’t help but be jolly!

A festive street scene decorated with Christmas ornaments, featuring a large circular sign with Santa Claus's face and smaller circular signs with Disney parks celebrations motifs, all amidst seasonal greenery and an urban backdrop.

Credit: Becky Burkett

Disney World’s EPCOT hosts its own special event, which begins at the end of November and runs through the end of December each year. The International Festival of the Holidays celebrates the late fall/early winter holiday season and incorporates the celebrations held by people all over the globe.

Christmas is a huge part of the festivities, as guests can see Father Christmas, Pere Noel, and Santa Claus around the World Showcase at EPCOT. The festival’s signature event, the annual Candlelight Processional, centers around the birth of Jesus, read by a celebrity narrator from the second chapter of Luke in the Bible.

epcot candlelight processional

Credit: Disney Parks

The Spookiest Season of the Year

But you might have noticed that we skipped one of the most popular seasons for guests at the four theme parks at Walt Disney World and the two theme parks at Disneyland Resort.

Though the summers can be brutal at both resorts, many guests find solace in August, as–believe it or not–Halloween decorations begin to pop up across the parks. Yes, in August! (Perhaps it’s a reminder to guests that soon, things will be a little cooler, and the spooky fun is just around the corner!)

pumpkins at magic kingdom

Pumpkins at Magic Kingdom in August/Credit: Becky Burkett

Disney Parks celebrates Halloween in a big way. At Magic Kingdom at Disney World, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a guest favorite, and at Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland, the Oogie Boogie Bash, inspired by Disney’s and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a hit with guests.

Ticket Sales Begin This Week

On Monday, Disney Parks announced the dates for both spooky celebrations. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will offer select dates between August 9 and October 31. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. local time and runs through midnight.

mickey's not so scary halloween party mickey mouse pluto donald goofy minnie mouse

Credit: Disney

Disney World invites guests to “delight in a spooky atmosphere and frightful fun at this spirited celebration” at Magic Kingdom. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can purchase tickets for the event beginning Tuesday, May 8. All other guests will be able to purchase tickets beginning May 15, 2024.

At Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort, the Oogie Boogie Bash will be held on select evenings in August, September, and October. Per Disneyland Resort:

The spell’s been cast! Disney California Adventure Park will host a separately ticketed Halloween party with Oogie Boogie—select nights in August, September and October 2024. This family-friendly event includes after-hours park access to treat trails, photo opportunities, entertainment, attractions, frightfully fun decor and more.

Magic Key holders, stay tuned for additional details on a special offering during event nights.

disneyland haunted mansion holiday

Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland Park/Credit: Becky Burkett

Stay tuned for more information about these spooky celebrations and other exciting events at Disney Parks!

This post originally appeared on Disney Dining

About Rebekah Tyndall Burkett

Rebekah grew up in Forney, Texas and lives just outside of Dallas. She’s been a Disney superfan since childhood, experiencing the magic at Walt Disney World for the first time at the age of 11. Journeys to Neverland are at least a yearly occurrence for her, her husband and her four children (the Fab Four). When they go to the parks, they stay in Florida for three weeks at a time. Rebekah loves exploring the history of the parks, the genius behind the Magic in the person of Walt Disney, and she is intrigued by all things Disney World and Disney Imagineering. When in the parks, Rebekah and her husband Scott make the most of their time by enjoying every minute with their Fab Four, by delving deeper into Walt’s vision for the parks and into the history behind the Walt Disney World Resort, and by photographing the many different types of architecture at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and on the World Showcase at EPCOT. When she’s not in the parks, Rebekah is excitedly setting travel dates and planning her family’s next adventure to their happy place deep within the Sunshine State. On breaks from planning her next trip, Rebekah is a writer, journalist and children’s author, penning children’s books about kids with special needs that she affectionately calls “believement-achievement” stories. Her hobbies include creative writing, paper crafting and interviewing Imagineers. She is also an advocate for Autism Awareness and for children with developmental disabilities of all kinds.

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